usatvline Chapter 279, Section 279: Conflict
Chapter 279, Section 279: Conflict
Chapter 279 Conflict
Upon hearing Feng Ling's words, Gongsun Zhan's brow twitched. His sharp gaze swept behind him, and he decisively stepped in front of the emperor, saying:
"Is Lord Feng referring to the great fire that occurred in the south of the city tonight?"
Shi Zhenghan immediately seized the opportunity and said sternly, "Prime Minister, Lord Feng has something to report. His Majesty has not yet spoken, so why did you interrupt? In the Golden Hall, under the Emperor's nose, how can you show such disrespect to His Majesty? What are you up to?"
His words struck the crowd like a heavy hammer, causing everyone to straighten up and look down at the dragon throne. Even the previously weary emperor raised his head and gave Gongsun Zhan a deep look. Only then did he turn to Feng Ling and say:
"Feng Ling, what do you have to report?"
Feng Ling snapped out of his daze, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead and back. He lowered his head slightly, cupped his hands, and addressed the emperor:
"Your Majesty, what I wish to report to you is the great fire that broke out in the south of the city last night."
The emperor said calmly, "Oh? What happened to that fire?"
"The fire burned extremely fiercely and was completely out of control. I led the constables of Shuntian Prefecture, along with the Imperial Guards and the brothers of the Xuanjia Army, in a night-long battle to extinguish the fire. Afterwards, we discovered that there was no survivors in the burning house; everyone in the house perished in the flames!"
Feng Ling's voice was serious and cold, echoing in the solemn hall, making everyone feel as if they were there, and they could even smell the anxious atmosphere.
They had heard about the fire in the city, but they never expected it to be so devastating.
"How could this be?" The emperor frowned deeply, then looked at Chunyu Yang and asked, "Third brother, were you also at the scene last night?"
Chunyu Yang nodded and said, "That's right. Due to the fierce fire, the Shuntian Prefecture and the Jingxun Guard alone could not put it out. So I went outside the city to transfer some soldiers of the Xuanjia Army to help put out the fire. The situation was urgent, and I transferred the Xuanjia Army into the city without informing Father Emperor. I hope Father Emperor will forgive me."
The emperor waved his hand: "It's alright, you're doing this for the people's sake."
Chunyu Yang said, "Father, if it weren't for the Shuntian Prefecture and the Beijing Patrol Guards fighting the fire so bravely, the fire wouldn't have spread. Otherwise, the casualties from this fire tonight would have been unimaginable. I believe they deserve to be rewarded for their meritorious service in fighting the fire."
The Emperor, understanding the situation, said, "The Shuntian Prefecture, the Capital Patrol Guard, and the Xuanjia Army have rendered meritorious service in fighting the fire. Each of those who participated in the firefighting will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver and ten bolts of brocade. The Xuanjia Army will also be awarded a second-class military merit." He then looked at Feng Ling:
"Feng Ling, have you found out the cause of the fire?"
Feng Lingdao said, "Your Majesty, this case is still under investigation and no conclusion has been reached yet. However..." He paused here, his expression hesitant.
The emperor said impatiently, "Speak your mind! What kind of behavior is this, a grown man stammering like this!"
Feng Lingdao said: "With the autumn hunt just around the corner, which is meant to pray for good weather and peace in the coming year, so many people have died in the capital before the hunt. Therefore, I think this fire is suspicious and may have been deliberately caused."
After listening, the emperor lowered his head and thought about it carefully. He felt that there seemed to be some truth to it, and his face turned ugly.
“Lord Feng, everything requires evidence. You’re just making baseless accusations that someone deliberately set the fire. Aren’t you undermining the emperor’s confidence?” said an official from the Ministry of Revenue.
"Yes!"
"that is!"
A chorus of agreement rose from the main hall.
Chunyu Jing gently stroked the pattern on the cuff of his sleeve, looking at Feng Ling with great interest.
The fire burned down Master Zhao's residence; it must have been the Crown Prince who sent men to kill and set fire to destroy the evidence overnight. Feng Ling clearly wanted to expose the case and the person involved during the morning court session, but unfortunately, Gongsun Zhan stopped him.
But it doesn't matter. Being able to plant a seed of suspicion against Gongsun Zhan in the emperor's mind means that today's morning court session can be considered to have yielded some results.
The Emperor raised his hand to silence the commotion in the hall and said in a deep voice, "Feng Ling, since you find this strange, then investigate it thoroughly. But you must resolve this case before the autumn hunt to appease the people of the city. If you encounter any difficulties during the investigation, you may come to the palace to report to me. I have bestowed upon you the Imperial Sword so that you may eliminate evil and protect the capital. Do not disappoint me."
Feng Ling hurriedly replied, "Your subject obeys the decree!"
The emperor said, "Alright, this morning court session is over. Court is adjourned."
Having said that, he stood up, intending to leave. After taking a couple of steps, he seemed to remember something, turned back to look at Gongsun Zhan, and said:
"Left Prime Minister, Feng Ling, come with me to the Imperial Study. I have something to ask you."
Gongsun Zhan: "Yes."
Seeing that the emperor had only summoned Gongsun Zhan and Feng Ling, a hint of resentment flashed in Shi Zhenghan's eyes, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Chunyu Jing cleared his throat imperceptibly and turned to head towards the outside of the hall. Receiving this signal, Shi Zhenghan composed himself and also turned to walk towards the outside of the hall.
Following Chunyu Jing's footsteps, one hears Chunyu Jing say calmly, "Take it easy."
Shi Zhenghan composed himself and said, "Your Highness seems to have a plan in mind?"
Chunyu Jing looked at Chunyu Yang and Chunyu Shan walking together ahead, looking like brothers with a deep bond, and coldly curled his lips: "Don't worry, everything is under control."
Ahead, Chunyu Shan, fanning himself, asked Chunyu Yang with great curiosity, "Third Brother, was there really a fire in the south of the city last night?"
"The fire last night was so large that it alarmed half of the capital. Are you truly unaware, or are you feigning ignorance?" Chunyu Yang said calmly.
Chunyu Shan touched his nose and said, "Oh dear, Father Emperor dumped the autumn hunt on me. I've been so busy with this lately that I'm so tired that I fall asleep as soon as I lie down at night. I'm afraid even if lightning strikes me, I might not wake up!"
Chunyu Yang shook his head helplessly and said, "Being able to sleep so soundly is a skill in itself."
"Is Third Brother mocking his younger brother?" Chunyu Shan's eyes crinkled with grievance, then he asked, "Third Brother, is that fire really related to this year's autumn hunt, just as Lord Feng said?"
Chunyu Yang glanced at him and said, "Don't think I don't know what you're up to. The autumn hunt is inevitable, so you should focus on preparing for the trip."
Disappointed, Chunyu Shan lowered his head and sighed, "Only my third brother truly understands me..."
Although their steps led out of the palace, Chunyu Yang's thoughts were already wandering back to the Imperial Study. He wondered if the Left Chancellor and Feng Ling would tell his father about the rubbing of the register in Zheng Yan's possession, and about Min'er's poisoning with "Drunken Lotus Leaf." He also wondered how his father would react if he knew that the Wan Ku Sect had reappeared in the martial world…